Gaming machines or terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options.
Casinos strive to accommodate a maximum number of gaming machines to maximize profits and choices for patrons. Some casinos maximize the number of gaming machines employing optimal floor and wall space configurations. Such space optimization requires the gaming machines to have gaming cabinets with specific dimensions. The specific dimensions of the gaming machines include a width dimension, a depth dimension, and a height dimension. Gaming machine manufacturers take into consideration each of these dimensions for a number of reasons.
For example, the width of each gaming machine determines how many gaming machines can be positioned side-to-side along the walls or on the floor of the casino. Thus, gaming machine manufacturers strive to minimize the overall width of the gaming cabinets, while incorporating all of the necessary components to allow the gaming machine to work and while maintaining a certain level of enjoyment and excitement for a player. Additionally, gaming machine manufacturers strive to provide gaming machines with widths that provide an appropriate amount of personal space for players of side-to-side gaming machines so as not to interfere with the players' enjoyment and excitement.
In another example, the depth of each gaming machine determines how many rows of gaming machines can be positioned back-to-back in the center of the casino floor. Gaming machines having relatively larger depths result in rows of back-to-back gaming machines having an overall larger depth, which reduces the number of back-to-back rows of gaming machines that can fit on the floor of a particular casino. Thus, gaming machine manufacturers strive to minimize the overall depth of the gaming cabinets.
Additionally, the height of each gaming machine can affect a final placement of the gaming machine in the casino. For example, security and operational procedures typically require casinos to position taller or larger gaming machines along the casino's walls and to place shorter or smaller gaming machines in the center of the casino floor. Taller gaming machines are generally not placed in the center of a casino floor because they can pose obstacles for security staff and video cameras. Other reasons for minimizing the height of a gaming machine include: maintaining open floor plans for aesthetic reasons, enabling exit sign visibility to patrons, and reducing obstructions of popular attractions within the casino property. Thus, gaming machine manufacturers strive to minimize the overall height of the gaming cabinets.
In some cases, a gaming board regulates the exterior dimensions of the gaming cabinets. Thus, internal space for components of gaming machines is at a premium. As gaming machines become more complex requiring more and more components, gaming machine manufacturers and casinos must decide what components must be housed within the gaming cabinet and what components can be eliminated or located externally to the gaming machine to reduce or maintain the gaming machine's cabinet size, thereby optimizing the casino's floor space.
For example, some gaming machines provide player tracking components, located within the gaming cabinet, for tracking a player's gaming habits and other related information. Casinos operating these gaming machines generally maintain a player tracking network for communicating with the player tracking components, which can be complicated and costly. Thus, some casinos have removed the player tracking components from the gaming machines for these and/or other reasons, which leaves a hole or a void in the gaming machine.
As space within gaming machines is at a premium, gaming machine manufacturers have failed to provide useful space for a player to store or place personal items.